Thai official pays visit

Recently appointed Thai Foreign Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn held separate meetings with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defence Minister Tea Banh in Phnom Penh yesterday, pledging protection for Cambodians in Thailand and continued stability along the two countries’ border.

“The core issue of the visit [by Tanasak] was aimed at explaining so Cambodia understands the situation in Thailand [despite there being] controversial views of the military taking power,” Banh told reporters after the closed-door meeting, adding that he requested that the Thais “help take care of our workers” in the country.

Tanasak said during a press briefing before his departure that the Thai government would make assurances that Cambodian labourers in Thailand would have the same rights to access health care and education as Thais.

Banh also said yesterday that the issue of the still-disputed territory around Preah Vihear temple was mentioned, but would remain tabled until a later date, and that “in reality now, we are no longer worried about the border dispute”.

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